President reaffirms East China Sea Peace Initiative
ROC Central News Agency
2013/02/01 18:51:29
Taipei, Feb. 1 (CNA) President Ma Ying-jeou on Friday reaffirmed his peace initiative with regard to the disputed Diaoyutai Islands in the East China Sea, urging the parties involved to set aside their sovereignty disputes and jointly explore the resources in the area.
Ma, however, reiterated Taiwan's claim to the Diaoyutais.
"We will not yield even one inch of land in the island group," he said.
He said that if all the parties concerned are willing to set aside their differences, the Republic of China will be willing to start with joint exploration of the resources in the area, once its sovereignty is not compromised.
The president said his East China Sea Peace Initiative last year was aimed at letting other countries to know that the ROC is a peace-loving country.
But he also said the ROC is prepared for any attempts to undermine its sovereignty.
Ma's peace initiative called for all parties to refrain from aggression, shelve their differences, maintain dialogue, observe international law and resolve the dispute by peaceful means.
He also called for all sides to seek consensus on a code of conduct in the East China Sea and establish a mechanism for cooperation on exploring and developing the resources in the region.
The Diaoyutai Islands, which are located 100 nautical miles off northeastern Taiwan, have been under Japanese administrative control since 1972, but are also claimed by Taiwan and China.
The president was addressing military personnel on the outlying island of Penghu, in a pre-Lunar New Year speech.
(By Kelven Huang and Lilian Wu)
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